John Frieh

Here you go fatty: Powell and Armitage Intend to Step Down Are we still going to go bouldering if I come out to Boston?

Shit... I flipped them. ChucK is right.

This depends on where you choose to get onto the route. I would recommend starting at goat pass; how you approach goat pass is up to you. Currently the Leavenworth side approach would be faster (and less up and down). Some people (you can see a few TRs in this forum on this option) will climb Stuart Couloir and then catch the last 5ish (depends on rope length) pitches to the summit. I don't know if SC is still in shape though... kinda getting late for that route. I know Mtnhigh and Terry McClain on this site have climbed the ridge in its entirety; you might want to pm them if you have specific questions. Beautiful route; beautiful mountain... enjoy!

I've an Eldo and an I-tent that BD/Bibler made specifically to fit on BD ledge (zippers in the floor for the fins, abrasion resistance on one side of the tent, etc) but can also be used with out the ledge. These two have preformed within my expectations such that I have had no reason to want to change teams. BD has also given excellent warranty coverage on the eldo (always free of charge even though it was my fault). A good person to talk to would be Jim at Pro Mountain sports; he could offer a lot of insight into this question that no other shop (even REI… that’s for you cracked) could offer. I would encourage you to lay down in an I tent (and any others you are considering) to ensure its the correct height.

I love it when people associate "man" with the harder or more difficult way (and all the implications stemming from this)... good to know misogyny is still rampant. I wonder when "man" will become a synonym for stupid or arrogant… In regards to the couloir approach; the sooner the better as the melt is on and with each day a few more rocks are poised to let entropy run its course. Once on the ridge you shouldn’t have too much of a problem with snow; there will be a few spots (nothing you can’t handle in tennies). PM me if you have specific questions or would like to see some photos for route finding purposes. J

Who is that poser?

Which couloir? Which approach? Which descent? If you want beta please be more specific.

A few years ago when I was still living in Eugene I was in the left turn only lane at a stop light. The exit I wanted to get back onto I-5 was behind me for the opposite flow of traffic so instead of obeying the no u turn sign, I flipped a bitch. A motorcycle stater was in further back in line to turn left also (I didn't see him until I flipped it); once I did see him I just pulled over and waited. 175 bucks! which if you know ticket prices, you know that is the equivalent of being cited for speeding in OR for 15+ miles over the speed limit (this has likely changed as its been 3 years+ since I got a ticket in OR). Normally these types of U turns are allowed; however the cop explained they had seen a number of accidents resulting from someone turning right at the red striking a u turner. Make sense?

If you break any traffic law; it will catch up with you sooner or later. In the 8 years I have had my license I have managed: 1 seatbelt violation 1 u turn (more expensive than speeding! avoid this one!) 4 speeding tickets in OR (stopped 7 times so I was let go on 3) 4 speeding tickets in WA (stopped 5 times so I was let go on 1) 1 warning in CA 1 striking an immovable object (dismissed in court) 2 no proof of insurance (dismissed both times as I was insured) 1 reckless endangerment (dismissed in court... parents: don't let your kids watch Dukes of Hazard reruns... also: as cool as it looks on tv; jumping your 1980's Toyota wagon at the BMX track is not a good idea and it hurts) Be honest with the cop; they are a little more likely to let you go if you admit fault and say "there was no reason to justify my speed." Don't act like "why are you pulling me over" if I drive through a speed trap and see them pull on, I just pull over and wait for them before they ever get there lights on.

Bullshit. That or you must have man boobs...

Start with the alpine lakes thread... you will find a few TRs (including one I was on) there.

What races? Have you raced any 100Ks? 100 milers? Are you training for any races currently?

Who told you that? And why didn't they tell me?

The first time I read that sentance I inferred you were running 25 miles in two hours - shesh ;-) I was gonna call bullshit on running 12.5mph on trails for 2 hours straight too, until I re-read it 12.5 mph for two hours... no problem… don’t you people know I’m Alberto Salazar? I'm lucky to keep 10 mph for 26.2. Since we are on the subject (sorry to hijack the thread) are there any trad/alpine climbers out there that also run marathon/ultra marathon distances? I'd love to do some running link ups this summer... an acquaintance of mine ran the approach, climbed stuart n. ridge and ran the descent car to car (Long's pass both ways!) in 8 hours 2 or 3 summers ago and I'd like to see how I would fair... Holla at your boy!

Let's just say black diamond gave me a new portaledge when I bent all four of the corner bolts. Mike aka Elmo (who I should note is no longer working at BD so don't ask for him when you call) hooked me up yet again when I told him how I managed to bend them... I thought they were going to replace the bolts, but no... new ledge. Did I mention I love BD? In other news I am still accepting applications for a big wall partner.

Specifying which approach would allow people to answer your question.

Blake: Yes they make them; quite a few actually. The pack size will be determined by how far/long you will be running/out. What kind of distances are you looking at? Generally, people start to carry packs/fanny packs when water and/or food isn’t readily accessible on the trail. Almost all ultramarathons (defined as any distance over 26.2 miles or a marathon) have aid stations throughout the course, so people generally don’t need to carry much. However, for your training runs, you will need to carry fuel. For distances under ~25 miles or under 2 hours I wear a fuel belt or I will carry two of these. For distances over ~25 miles or runs over 2 hours I carry a salomon xa pro packvest. Hot but carries great (see it on the site). Before that I wore a trail runner backpack from them; also carried well. Whatever you get, make sure it will carry just what you need (camelbak sleeve, etc.) and nothing more. Ultra running is a lot like alpine climbing; less on your back means faster on the trail. Shoe wise wear what fits. Go to a dedicated trail running shop (preferable with a treadmill) and get fitted. I wear montrail, but only because they fit. If you really get into trail running, here are some other links I found amazingly helpful as I first got into the sport. Excellent info/discussion and links on 100 milers: www.run100s.com Another excellent ultra site: www.ultrunr.com The ultimate in outdoor sports fuel (they sell ATP in a pill!): www.e-caps.com Races: www.ultrarunner.net Magazine/Books/Races: www.ultrarunning.com PM me if you need more (I get the feeling this is more than you wanted); or ever want to go running.

Sounds like some high maintence ex-girlfriends i have had. TB: Avatars can be deceiving. Take yours for example: it insinuates that you are actually capable of an erection.

Thanks for the clarification. I've never heard that one before... guess it's a Canada junior college thing...

Then why can't Dru lead WI7?

Word up Luke... glad you have a sense of humor (unlike a lot of people on this site). Congrats on 8 months; you definitely have what a lot of guys on this site would like too... a girl and mutant hand strength.

Michael: I'll drop you a pm soon. You gonna free Baring? I have a feeling you and I have a similar tick list for the summer. Holla! Distel: Don't speak too soon... once she figures out that minus the neck beard you would get carded at a PG-13 movie she might hop along the trail.

Ain't the sharpest marble in the baggie now are we? Scott: Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't marbles supposed to be round (you know like a hemisphere)? Why would one desire a "sharp" marble? Are you trying to make a point?

Fern: I may not hold a candle to Jean-Luke, but my phaser will definately stun... How did you I.D. me so quickly? Stalker?

Michael: First a disclaimer: I’m young, single and most importantly male. Because of this I am no where as qualified as a female to answer your questions. However, I will offer the small sampling of knowledge I have obtained from the numerous failures at attempts for intimacy. Hopefully some of this helps… First off I would caution against going anywhere women on this site suggest/approve as “acceptable for approaching.” Instead I would recommend places you are more likely to meet women you are interested in meeting. What am I trying to say? Take bars for example; a venue commonly employed for meeting potential partners. Though fished by many what are the odds of you actually meeting a girl that shares common interests, goals, etc in a random bar? Unless it’s a dedicated climber watering hole chances are slim to none. If anything you are more likely to meet a girl that likes going out often which, unless you like doing that (I’ll use me for an example… my weekends are almost always used for escaping the crowds, not seeking them out) it probably won’t work out in the end. Even though I’m a spring chicken in terms of the dating scene, I have only had one girl I meet at a bar turn into a dating situation (and it still didn’t work as I climbed too much… whatever that means…). So back to my point: if you like intellectual type girls; hit book stores and libraries (Powell’s on Burnside comes to mind). If you like athletic type (not necessarily climbers), get involved with some sports groups. Case in point: there are a number of clubs that run the wildwood trail in town 2-3 times a week (did I mention I love that trail?). If you insist on dating a climber, climbing areas, slide shows, gear shops, etc etc would be places to frequent. Chances are if you predetermine some qualities you prefer in a mate and use these to guide your selection in fishing holes, it will be that much easier to strike up conversation. Which brings me to my next point: fear of rejection. Boys are taught to be masculine. One of the supposed masculine qualities is successfulness which generally results in a fear of failure as we think failing makes us “less of a man.” I will be the first to admit I have ducked out of asking out numerous girls because I was afraid she’d laugh in my face even though my brain was screaming at me to do so. The thing I always tell myself is what is the worst thing that can happen? Though one might argue that she could start laughing or stand up on here chair and announce to everyone that you had the audacity to ask her out, but chances are she will say no (at worse). And seriously: how bad is that? In the grand scheme of things, you will be lucky to remember the time some girl said no to you 20 years from now… let alone the first and last name(s) of every partner you’ve had (can you name them all???). I would be a hypocrite if I said I ask out any girl I want too; generally I can only ask a girl out if it’s a one on one situation (I’m so chicken I won’t even do it in front of my friends). As a result I keep this in mind for selecting places to meet people. One on one situation in bars are slim to none; hence another reason to weed them out (for me at least). Climbing areas is another slim to none place for one on one situation. And I’m there to climb, not socialize! Keep you limitations in mind when selecting a place. Finally remember that if something’s meant to be it will happen. You can’t force a relationship between two people. If it’s meant to happen it will. It’s like trying to plan small talk; you shouldn’t have too… if you are generally interested in someone it will come naturally. If you are sitting there racking your brain for material, maybe you shouldn’t be. And we all have dry spells. Lord knows my dating life resembles something between a sine curve and an exponential decay function. Finally my dads advice: when it rains it pours (you will always meet 3 cool girls simultaneously when the week before you where working the ex-girlfriend circuit) and don’t shit where you eat (don’t date people you work with). And are we going to climb NNB or not Michael? I’ve got my other partner on board… what do you say?